Lakers' World Peace expected to play vs. Hornets

EL SEGUNDO – Most players would take the stated six weeks to recover from knee surgery. Many would hours or days of rehabilitation and treatment to decrease the swelling and regain the conditioning lost because of sitting out.

Lakers forward Metta World Peace is not like most basketball players. In fact, many would say, there isn't anyone else like him, including the doctors that performed his meniscus surgery less than two weeks ago.

Twelve days after having surgery to repair a torn meniscus, World Peace is expected to be back on the court, back in his starting spot for Tuesday's home game against New Orleans. The only thing holding him back is the final go-ahead from the Lakers' training staff.

"I'm ready to go," World Peace said after a rigorous practice Monday.

World Peace said he was ready to play against Dallas on April 2, but had not gotten medical clearance. The Lakers had lost one of their most durable players when he suffered a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee during a loss to Golden State on March 25.

His teammates weren't all that surprised by World Peace's imminent return.

"He takes care of himself. He eats all the right stuff, but still it's extremely impressive," Kobe Bryant said.

World Peace had the surgery two days later and the Lakers announced the defensive stalwart would be out a minimum of six weeks. Within hours of the injury, World Peace posted on Twitter "Recovery time hopefully is a week and a half."

The post later was deleted, but it showed his determination to return sooner than expected.

"Often after meniscus surgery, you can play but it's the swelling that keeps you from playing," he said. "But I didn't have any swelling and that's why I kept pushing to play right away. That's why I wanted to play three games ago."

World Peace said his optimism was boosted when doctors asked him to stand within hours of the surgery.

"Right after surgery, after medicines wore off, the doc asked me to put weight on leg," he said. "I said 'Really? Then I could play. Let's go.'"

World Peace credits the doctors, trainers and his healthy lifestyle for his quicker-than-expected recovery.

"It was good teamwork with the doctors and training staff," he said. "We have to make a push and make a championship run."

NASH STILL SIDELINED

Coach Mike D'Antoni said Steve Nash's return had been pushed back to at least Friday, when the Lakers face the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center. D'Antoni has said the thought the point guard would be ready for Tuesday's game.

"He's going through some stuff," D'Antoni said. "He's not ready yet."

Nash first felt spasms in his right hip during the March 25 loss to the Warriors and has since been dealing with a strained hip and strained right hamstring.

Nash played in the first half Lakers' game against Minnesota on March 27, but then began experiencing discomfort and sat out the rest of the game.

He played only two minutes against Sacramento and has since missed the past three games.